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Na Kaho Tum Mere Nahin (NKTMN) – a drama serial on Hum TV that aired its last episode in the beginning of March – was a clichéd story of marital infidelity and domestic problems.
The plot was straight forward – a husband and a wife and their two children live a peaceful life in a blissful house until they come under buri nazar ( the evil eye).
The story revolves around the happy couple Mehreen (Saba Qamar) and Meerab’s (Ahsan Khan) lives. Meerab earns a humble living and Mehreen tries her best to make do with his meager salary to maintain a happy home.
(Meerab and Mehreen.)
Then ...

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When I heard that CNG prices would be reduced, I was ecstatic. I, along with people all over Pakistan, celebrated this development.
This reduction was intended to bring respite to the people in an environment of growing expenses and high inflation; it is no secret that here in Pakistan, even buying bare necessities have become difficult for the common man.
Following this price cut, I enthusiastically took a picture from my phone of the new prices stated on the CNG pumps. It all seemed like a dream come true.
Now, it is no less than a nightmare, not just to me, ...

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The six cinemas that were torched during the rather ill-fated Ishq-e-Rasool Day, marked the decline of cultural tolerance in Pakistan. However, going by news coverage of that day, it seemed that this incident was more important than anything else that happened.
However, there was another side to the story, too. The sun that went down on Ishq-e-Rasool day, held as a mark of protest against an anti-Islam video, took away many other things along with it; including 26 lives — lives which did not spark a debate in the news media.
One can posit that these 26 lives belonged to ...

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A heavy voice, amid fire raging on the screen (illustrating hell fire) alerts us that it’s that time of the year when we all have to seek forgiveness from God– and just when I was about to recite Astaghfar in my heart, Veena Malik appeared and disrupted my connection with the Divine.
I shook my head in disbelief and continued to watch Veena Malik address me in a cobalt-blue kameez shalwar.
“Main hoon Veena Malik, is Ramazan main keroongi aapke saath … apne aur aapke gunaaho’n ka astaghfar.”
(I am Veena Malik, and this Ramazan I, along with you, will be seeking ...

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It is hard for every girl growing up in Pakistan to brave drawing-room meetings, aimed at deciding their fates for life. But one only finds the recipe for matrimonial bliss, after coming to terms with it.
Arranged marriages may seem awry to some, but you only realise when you have undergone or seen cases in which love marriages don’t quite prove to be the best way out.
Here are some of the reasons why I believe arranged marriages trump love marriages.
Statistics have proven that the probability of a love marriage failing is higher than an arranged marriage.
People who usually fall in ...

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“Turn every stone in Pakistan and you find a diamond,” said Sabina Khatri – one of the six central characters of Ho Yaqeen, a project that aims to promote a positive image of Pakistan. She sent chills down my spine.
I listened keenly as she spoke at the premiere of HoYaqeen which was attended by the glitterati of Karachi. Pakistan’s first and only Oscar winner, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy was also present at this event.
What Sabina said stayed with me; working for a news organisation has made me feel despondent and desolate. As news of torture, rape, kidnapping, sectarian violence and bomb blasts pours ...

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Working as a part of the web team at The Express Tribune has given me exposure to peoples’ reactions online which always tend to take me by surprise. However, during this week, after the spot-fixing verdict story was shared on Facebook, I was more than just a little surprised by the harsh, emotional and blunt responses that came from a majority of readers. They were thirsty for the trio’s blood – literally.
One commenter, Usama Zulfiqar, proposed capital punishment for the players which began a flood of comments that agreed with him – most readers were demanding Asif and Butt ...

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I had a long day at work and was so tired that I hit the bed as soon as I reached home, missing all the updates on Qaddafi’s death that were aired whilst I slumbered.
And as I came to work this morning, my colleague showed me some pictures of his body coming in from wire services. I was shell-shocked. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I saw his mutilated face, the small tunnel he was hiding in and people celebrating his death on the roads. It was depressing.
Although I was never his supporter and condemned his dictatorship, what ...

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A recent post “Why you should not marry your cousin” on the medical consequences of marrying within the family sparked intense debate on whether the tradition still has a place in Pakistani society.
While many comments on the post contended that these marriages are permitted both in Islam and by Pakistani law most found them unappealing.
In this video I asked a few young Karachiites whether they would marry their cousins. All of them say no. Besides the general “eww” factor which was the primary reason most interviewed gave for not marrying their cousins, a few said that they did not think it ...

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Last Ramazan I was in Saudi Arabia, mainly for the purpose of performing Umrah. However, I spent most time of my time in Riyadh with my sister. My trip was far from enjoyable, as being a driver myself, I was often agitated at my dependence on my brother-in-law. I constantly found myself waiting for him in order to get to malls and any other place that I wanted to visit. I felt so handicapped because I wasn’t allowed to drive.
My sister, who used to drive frequently when she was settled in Dubai, found it difficult to get used to the fact that women are not allowed to ...